Published 13:23 IST, December 12th 2019
Prashant Kishor ramps up opposition to CAB; makes dire prediction about 'CAB + NRC combo'
JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Thursday raised his objection against the NDA government's Citizenship Amendment Bill and National Register of Citizens (NRC)
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Even after the JD(U) lent its support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Parliament, JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor expressed his disagreement towards the bill and stated that both CAB and National Register of Citizens (NRC) together will be a "lethal combo" in the hands of government to 'systematically discriminate and prosecute people based on religion.'
The JD(U) leader also took to his official Twitter handle on Thursday and expressed his concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Bill and NRC
We are told that #CAB is bill to grant citizenship and not to take it from anyone. But the truth is together with #NRC, it could turn into a lethal combo in the hands of Government to systematically discriminate and even prosecute people based on religion.#NotGivingUp
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 12, 2019
Earlier on Wednesday, Kishor had cautioned the party leadership on lending support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), stating that the party must think about those for a moment who reposed their faith and trust in it in 2015. He even took to his official Twitter handle and cautioned the party about the same.
While supporting #CAB, the JDU leadership should spare a moment for all those who reposed their faith and trust in it in 2015.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 11, 2019
We must not forget that but for the victory of 2015, the party and its managers wouldn’t have been left with much to cut any deal with anyone.
This is not the first time that the JD(U) leader had expressed his disappointment towards the bill. He had also taken to his official Twitter handle on Monday and had expressed his disappointment about JD(U) supporting CAB in the Lok Sabha.
Disappointed to see JDU supporting #CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 9, 2019
It's incongruous with the party's constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.
About CAB
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to refugees from Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Zoroastrian communities who fleed fearing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and entered India on or before December 31, 2014. CAB was approved by the Parliament after Rajya Sabha passed the bill on December 11.
125 members of the Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the Bill while 105 MPs voted against the Bill. BJP's former ally Shiv Sena did not participate in the voting. The Bill, which grants citizenship to the non-Muslims who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, was approved by the lower house of the parliament on Monday night with a majority of 311 votes against 80 votes. 391 members were present in Lok Sabha at the time of voting.
(With inputs from ANI)
12:39 IST, December 12th 2019